My Town

Planning Commission approves condo development in Sharp Park

By Jane Northrop

Pacifica Tribune Staff Writer

Posted:
12/03/2013 05:09:05 PM PST

Updated:
12/03/2013 05:09:06 PM PST

The Pacifica planning commissioners approved a plan to build two three-story condominium duplexes -- four units total -- of about 2,900 square feet each including two garage spaces per unit on two separate vacant lots at 10 and 16 Santa Rosa Avenue.

All would have the same basic floor plan, except there would be flexible options to use the enclosed space between the garage and the rear yard. The building height will be 29 feet.

While generally pleased with the aesthetics of the design proposed by Pacific Crest Builders, most of the discussion about the project focused on the width of the garage door and the distance between the garage door and the entrance.

Different garage entry configurations have been proposed. The commissioners approved a narrower garage door opening than city planning staff had recommended. Commissioner Josh Gordon cast the only nay vote for the project only because he opposed the narrower opening.

"I like the project, but it will be too hard to maneuver in and out of the garage," he said.

The rest of the commissioners approved an 11-foot wide garage door with a 13-foot wide distance between the garage walls and the entrance.

"I prefer the smaller garage door opening," said Commission Chair Chuck Evans. "I also like the sectioned look and the tiered look that gives everyone an ocean view."

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"This is a unique development. It's important to note we're not setting precedent here," said Commissioner Rich Campbell.

The first floor will have a living room and dining room area, bathroom and a flex space to be used for storage. Each of the units on this level will have a balcony at the front and open deck area to the rear. The second floor would have two bedrooms and two bathrooms with a balcony at the front. The floor areas for the upper two floors will extend five feet beyond the facade of the garages. The balconies will project six feet into the front yard setback.

Vehicles will reach the buildings from Santa Rosa Avenue. Some street parking will be lost with the construction of the garages, but more public parking is available one block south in the City Council parking lot and along Beach Boulevard. Landscaping will be provided on both lots.

There will be a required 20-foot rear yard setback for the dwellings to insure no light and air flow loss to the homes to the south of the site. A 25-foot separation will be created between the proposed duplex and any future development on the vacant lot between the proposed projects. An additional five-foot side yard setback will be added to the unit closest to an adjacent residence to allow for adequate light and air flow between the buildings.

The project is proposed for a residential neighborhood with a variety of structures from beach bungalows to apartment buildings and therefore, the commissioners found it would fit in among its neighbors. Currently, there are nothing but weeds on the vacant lots where the project will be located.

The architect described the design of the buildings as "nautical coastal" with diagonal ocean views from the decks, horizontal siding, metal railings and large view windows.

Other planning news

In other planning news, the Planning Commission unanimously approved Monday a 38-foot tall tree pole with nine AT&T cellular antennas and an enclosure for related ground equipment on open space at the top of Fassler Avenue on property owned by the North Coast County Water District. The cell tower will be designed to look like a tree. It will exceed Pacifica's height limit by three feet because of all the "leafy" fake branches on the crown.